Over 2000 sat for US CPA exam in Middle East

Craig Mills, AICPA Vice President of Examinations and CPE

The American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) and the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) this month marked a successful first year since the launch of the US CPA Examination at test sites in the Middle East across Bahrain, Kuwait, UAE and Lebanon.

In the first year, more than 2,000 candidates have sat for the Exam in the Middle East as a whole, out of which 307 students/professionals from Bahrain took the CPA exam.

“Historically, there has been strong demand for the U.S. CPA Exam in the Middle East which is one of the key reasons we selected Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates as sites to debut the exam internationally,” Craig Mills, AICPA Vice President of examinations and CPE, said.

“We have been very pleased with the level of interest from candidates in the Middle East in the first year of the international exam and hopefully that momentum will continue to build in the coming years.”

The Uniform CPA Exam was made available to candidates in Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates, as well as Japan in August 2011, [1] – the first time in history it has been administered outside of the United States and its jurisdictions. Previously, international candidates were required to travel to the US to sit for the exam.

“Obtaining the US CPA license served as key to demonstrating success for accounting professionals internationally,” Abdul Kareem Al-Zarouni, CPA, Deputy General Manager and Group Chief Audit Officer at National Bank of Abu Dhabi, said.

Colleen Conrad, Executive Vice President & COO, NASBA

“Having the US CPA exam offered in the Middle East has made it much easier for qualified accountants in the region to embark on their professional journey.”

The exam is available to candidates in Bahrain at a Prometric administered test center, the Bahrain Institute of Technology (BIT). International candidates, including Bahrain, can sit for the CPA exam during the second month of the testing window in November.

“The positive response from international exam candidates is a direct reflection of the first year’s success of the administration of the U.S. CPA examination in international locations,” NASBA Executive Vice President and COO Colleen Conrad, said.

“Thousands of aspiring CPAs are now afforded the opportunity to become U.S. CPAs in the same manner as candidates who reside in the United States.”